more from Revach:
6 Things To Look For When Buying A Lulav
1. Closed – The primary issue is to insure that the middle leaf is completely closed all the way to its tip. Preferably, one should not even be able to see two separate points.
2. Not Dry – Also, it is important that the lulav has not dried out and shriveled, but a little brown on the tip is natural.
3. Complete – Furthermore, care must be taken that the tip has not broken off.
4. Covered In Brown – Some prefer to take a lulav where the tip is covered with brown korah insuring its complete closure, while others avoid such a lulav out of concern for what lies underneath.
5. Knepel – Also, some prefer a knepel, where the tip of the leaf is folded over, as such a lulav will almost never split. However, some poskim invalidate such a lulav because of its bent state. If the tip bends slightly, but not so much that the tip points back to the bottom of the lulav, is not a problem and has all the advantages.
6. Beauty – A long, thick, straight and green lulav is ideal, but not of primary importance.